Hoax call lands police at journalist`s house

New Delhi: A hoax call made to police landed sleuths at the residence of a senior journalist here looking for smack, but they found nothing at his premises.
Police said they received a call in PCR claiming that smack has been stored at house number 107 in Anupam Apartment in South Delhi`s Neb Sarai.
Following the call, the police landed at the house which is the residence of John Cherian, Chief of the Delhi Bureau of the Frontline magazine.

When Cherian objected to police action, the investigators called up the complainant who then told police that they heard him wrong as he mentioned about house number 160 while speaking in Hindi and not 107 which is the residence of the journalist.

Following the clarification of the caller, police went to house number 160 but did not find anything there too as claimed by the complainant.

When police again tried to call the complainant, his phone was found switched off, police said. A case has been registered for making the hoax call and probe was on.

Delhi Union of Journalists, meanwhile, has expressed serious concern at the police inquiry at Cherian`s residence.

"The DUJ noted that press bashings and enquiries on journalists were on the increase. It has to be noted that the enquiries were made just on the basis of a phone call at 100.

The police however retreated and said that they had come in search of some other house," the DUJ said.

The Union appealed to Police Commissioner B K Gupta to be cautious and exercise restraint on issues pertaining to journalists.